SYDNEY -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard says he will not apologize to terrorism suspect Mohamed Haneef or allow him back in the country any time soon.

Haneef was arrested and held for four weeks before being sent back to Bangalore due to a lack of evidence, Australia's The Age reported Monday.

Now Haneef is taking the matter to federal court in an attempt to regain his visa and legal experts are saying he could win a large compensatory payout.

But Howard maintains the visa cancellation was "wholly legitimate and I can't see therefore the circumstances in which it's going to be restored, certainly in the near future." He also said Australia would not issue an apology to Haneef and rejected calls for a judicial review of the case.

"When you are dealing with terrorism, it's better to be safe than sorry," he said.